The Athletic: How did Angels squander Trout & Ohtani? It starts with the owner’s frugality

[jsnpritchett]

Excerpts:

"The Angels front office and ownership have consistently believed they’re close to making the playoffs, that the failures have been a result of some misfortune.

“We don’t feel like we’re that far away — we don’t,” Angels GM Perry Minasian said after his club’s 73-89 finish last season. “I think we’re closer than what our record might show to competing.”

The Angels enter the final weekend of this season with a record of 71-88. Injuries have hurt. But they’re still no closer to competing than a season ago.

The Athletic spoke with 17 current and former employees and players with the organization, in an effort to better understand why the Angels have not been able to build better teams around their superstars. The consensus was that under owner Arte Moreno, the organization has not spent at the levels of its competitors in critical areas throughout the franchise, beyond just player payroll. And that this frugality is at the heart of the team’s failures.

“The margins are so small between failure and success in baseball,” said former Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson, speaking broadly about the Angels’ lack of spending. “It could be a 10- or 15-game swing in the standings from just taking care of those ancillary situations.”

...

"At a time when other large-market teams had already moved aggressively to aid technological training and evaluation aids to their organization, the Angels were lagging behind. In 2019, the team brought in advanced pitching and hitting equipment such as Edgertronic cameras, Rapsodo machines and K-Vests, multiple former coaches said.

“Before 2019, we didn’t have anything at all,” said a longtime former coach in the Angels system. “No technology. Bullpens were thrown without any technology. … We were very outdated as an organization. We were years behind other organizations.”

Roughly half of MLB’s 30 teams have established dedicated pitching or hitting labs, according to published reports, and these kinds of advanced facilities are even spreading throughout the collegiate level. One of the better pitching labs in the country is at Wake Forest University. It cost the school about $12 million to create, and allows players and staff alike to hone in on granular areas for improvement — be it a release point, a grip on a certain pitch, or many other details that might lead to improvement.

“Why wouldn’t you get all hooked up to see what fits best for you?” Braves All-Star third-baseman Austin Riley told The Athletic in spring about the Braves’ hitting lab. “I feel like the best hitters are always trying to find that little bit of an edge.”

The Angels have neither hitting nor pitching labs."

...

"Moreno was one of four owners who voted against raising the luxury tax during the lockout in 2022. Historically, Moreno has effectively treated the lowest tier of the tax as a cap for his own spending, and the team’s moves over the last month have underscored that approach.

Matt Thaiss, for example, was activated off the injured list when he was still unable to catch due to his shoulder injury. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Sept. 13. But having Thaiss on the IL and a minor-league player called up in his place would have added marginally to payroll. They didn’t take that approach every time, but people within the organization say the front office remains cognizant of where it stands in relation to the luxury tax. And though it appears they’re actively working to be below it at season’s end, there’s a very real chance they do not finish below the threshold.

Some in the organization now worry that this aggressive push to shed salary will impact the team’s ability to sign free agents moving forward.

This most recent push to save money, however, seemingly fits within a pattern of frugality that can be seen throughout the organization.

The Angels’ only World Series championship came in 2002. Last June, the organization invited players from that team to return to Angel Stadium for a ceremony. The Angels hyped up the event, which included a shirt giveaway. On a Wednesday night against the Royals, and with Ohtani scheduled to pitch, the Angels sold nearly 35,000 tickets, which was 15,000 more than the night before.

But the Angels did not pay for travel for those former players to attend the event, sources said, requiring them to foot the expense themselves if they wanted to be there."

 

 

[Tank]

every year i'm hopeful that the team will turn the corner and get back to being a winning, championship caliber team. the revelations that have come out over the course of this year no longer inspire me to feel that way.

significant changes need to be in approach and front office personnel, including ownership. until that happens, we're in for a long, dark night.

[AngelStew43]

So, our owner has turned into Jackie Autry.  Even the cheap beer has essentially disappeared.  

Mr. Moreno, if you're going to run the Angels that way, please take the 2.3 billion dollars, or whatever it was that you were offered, and move on.  

[Angel Oracle]

After 20 years of infrastructure frugality…

Arte Moreno….

See ya!!!!

Cheap %^^%** recluse!!!!

Edited September 29, 2023 by Angel Oracle

[REDneck]

As valid a reason as any for this franchise's struggles in the last decade.

[ettin]

So I have to disagree with Blum here.

It's not the fact that Arte hasn't spent enough -- he has run consistently large payrolls (but of course never really stepping over the Luxury Tax in any significant manner).

Really the story, here, is HOW the money was spent. There you can point to poor investments in the Minor League system, large contracts handed out players that really, in retrospect (or heck, even at  the time they were signed!), should never have been paid that kind of money. Pujols, Rendon, et. al., the Angels have not invested well for the most part.

[jsnpritchett]

3 minutes ago, ettin said:

So I have to disagree with Blum here.

It's not the fact that Arte hasn't spent enough -- he has run consistently large payrolls (but of course never really stepping over the Luxury Tax in any significant manner).

Really the story, here, is HOW the money was spent. There you can point to poor investments in the Minor League system, large contracts handed out players that really, in retrospect (or heck, even at  the time they were signed!), should never have been paid that kind of money. Pujols, Rendon, et. al., the Angels have not invested well for the most part.

I'm curious if you read either the excerpts or the story itself, because if you did, you'd see that you don't disagree with Blum.  This is from the first excerpt and frames the rest of the story:

"The consensus was that under owner Arte Moreno, the organization has not spent at the levels of its competitors in critical areas throughout the franchise, beyond just player payroll. And that this frugality is at the heart of the team’s failures."

[Justin]

Too long; didn't read? 

Let me paste the most important 8 words: 

"Player development is the lifeblood of any franchise"

 

 

[well_red]

This quote says it all, really:  “People like to focus on the investments that we made that didn’t work out,” Moreno said in spring when asked if he takes responsibility for the losing. “They forget about investments that we made that did work out. You look at a (Vladimir) Guerrero, you look at a (Bartolo) Colon. You look at a Torii Hunter.”

[Blarg]

Mr Blum has found the right article to write with the right background information to support the article. Harsh truths.

[Angel Oracle]

36 minutes ago, well_red said:

This quote says it all, really:  “People like to focus on the investments that we made that didn’t work out,” Moreno said in spring when asked if he takes responsibility for the losing. “They forget about investments that we made that did work out. You look at a (Vladimir) Guerrero, you look at a (Bartolo) Colon. You look at a Torii Hunter.”

Yep, and that’s THREE out of how many multi-year contracts that worked out?

At least two handfuls????

You are NOT a scout, Moreno.

You are an OWNER!

Act like one, and spend on infrastructure!!!!

Edited September 29, 2023 by Angel Oracle

[case]

Love that CJ Wilson was trashing the Angels Spring Training facilities like not even having a gym for them..

This is a great story and i hope it gets a lot of press because Arte and the front office need to be shamed publicly on how this franchise is being run.

[UndertheHalo]

Getting really sick of these woe to Mike and Shohei articles.  Sorry they’re part of the team and for Mike especially he doesn’t get to shake off these failures and pretend he isn’t part of it.  Yea I get he’s our sainted golden boi.  ANYWAY, Sam’s is quite a bit less useless than Ken Rosenthals bullshit earlier this week, since at least Sam specifically mentions a bunch things where Art is cheap skating out.  
 

That Rosenthal article was like he went on twitter and Reddit and looked at what all the red ass dumb fucks cry about and just wrote the article based only on those tired moronic sports radio drive time takes.  Ken Rosenthal sucks so much, lol I hate him.  

[No Roles]

This franchise has been a failure because arte put no money into scouting or player development !!!  I was really hoping the warriors owner, that went to uci(he made an offer) would purchase the team this last offseason because he has proven to pay for proper scouting and has built a pro dynasty from it !!!

[aznhockeyguy]

The article just adds more anecdotes of stuff we've already known.  Arte spends money on flashy signings and not on the infrastructure that is needed to build and maintain a quality roster.  Another article (Rosenthal's maybe?) quoted an anonymous person from the Angels "It's like buying a lambo but getting it tuned at Jiffy Lube." 

[Taylor]

Could it be argued that Trout and Ohtani are ruining the Angels?

[DMVol]

Blum may be a jerk but, in this instance, I think he’s done his research and the article provides answers to why we’ve been bad for the last decade….

[Torridd]

I'm not reading this nor the one that was about hoping Ohtani goes to another team for the good of the league. Why is there so much Angels hate? 

[UndertheHalo]

Hell ya man, this is so cool haha.  Just perfect! 
 

 

[jsnpritchett]

20 minutes ago, Torridd said:

I'm not reading this nor the one that was about hoping Ohtani goes to another team for the good of the league. Why is there so much Angels hate? 

Is it hate or is it just the reality of how the Angels are run?  Doesn't do any good to stick your head in the sand.

[Taylor]

1 hour ago, DMVol said:

Blum may be a jerk but, in this instance, I think he’s done his research and the article provides answers to why we’ve been bad for the last decade….

Why is he a jerk?

[Torridd]

2 hours ago, jsnpritchett said:

Is it hate or is it just the reality of how the Angels are run?  Doesn't do any good to stick your head in the sand.

I think it's hate.

[jsnpritchett]

11 minutes ago, Torridd said:

I think it's hate.

Not sure why.  This article is a pretty straightforward accounting of various aspects of the Angels organization.  If reporting what's actually happening (or not happening, when it DOES happen in most other organizations) is "hate," then does that mean you're only interested in hearing/reading about things if a positive spin is put on them?

[Wisconsin27]

8 hours ago, ettin said:

So I have to disagree with Blum here.

It's not the fact that Arte hasn't spent enough -- he has run consistently large payrolls (but of course never really stepping over the Luxury Tax in any significant manner).

Really the story, here, is HOW the money was spent. There you can point to poor investments in the Minor League system, large contracts handed out players that really, in retrospect (or heck, even at  the time they were signed!), should never have been paid that kind of money. Pujols, Rendon, et. al., the Angels have not invested well for the most part.

I have a bit of a different take.  I have come to view Arte as a businessman with a sole purpose of increasing the value and revenue of his business.  And he has done this very well.  

He's managed to put his resources in the areas that convince his fans that the product they purchase is a solid one and worth following (i.e. spending their money on his product).  There is defined amount of money he's willing to spend, like all owners, and he allocates his resources for the sole purpose of encouraging his clients (fans) to purchase more.  

This is to say, I don't believe for a minute that Arte has ever had ambitions of creating a strong organization.  To the contrary, he understands that making an occasional and well-timed splash will maintain his clients (fans) interest and drive them to his business.  He has been a master at this as the increase in his club's net value over his tenure would demonstrate.

Strong organizations that rely on baseball minds shy away from the many deals the Angels have offered; an aging Albert or Rendon, Josh, and many, many others.  I fear his desire to resign Ohtani for revenue purposes only may be another example.  However, Arte has been a wise-enough businessman to know that those moves would excite his clients and put butts in the seats.  More intelligent "baseball-moves" would not provide him what he desires as they don't excite the average fan.  The average fan doesn't "see" the work done in the background (i.e. the technology reference in the article), investments overseas, or any other money placed into infrastructure in an organization.  That doesn't sell excitement, which Arte has always been interested in.

I just don't believe for a minute the reason the Angels haven't been successful for the past two decades is because they've mistakenly chose where to invest in high-priced players.  Strong baseball organizations have shown us time and time again they can overcome the occasional error.   But Arte is different.  He's successfully managed to create excitement regardless of the deals he's signed player to.  He's managed to get 3 million customers to purchase his product routinely.  That's successful business from his view.  

At the end of the day, his vision doesn't align with most/all diehard fans.  But he controls the signings and the narrative.  And it's the reason why it has sucked to be a diehard fan of his team, and will continue to be while his owner, for many of us.

 

[DMVol]

2 hours ago, Taylor said:

Why is he a jerk?

He’s a smart ass….but I enjoy reading his stuff….